Flashy Comet Tops The List Of The Best Of Gear That`s New

Despite the tidal wave of new gear that swamped us after Photokina, photo manufacturers still had a few nice surprises for us at Photo District News`

PHOTO `86 exhibition, held in New York at the end of October.

My ``best of the new`` awards:

At the top of my list is the Comet N-12 Flash System, which generates an egg-frying 12,000 watt/seconds of flash power in a 172-pound box not much larger than the family color television. Flash output is channeled through four UV-coated flash tubes, and recycling time is an impressive four seconds. The N-12 is the first serious, off-the-production-line flash with that kind of power to come along in many a moon.

The unit was originally designed for use in the cavernous Toyota photography studios in Japan where those sleek new cars get their portraits made, so the N-12 includes all the goodies we`ve come to expect of smaller generators including four flash outlets, a built-in photo slave, audio and visual ready signals, symmetrical or asymmetrical power distribution, and variable power and model lamp output. Also available are a variety of grids, barndoors, gel holders, extension cables and soft box adapters.

At about $21,000, the N-12 ain`t cheap, but for those few photographers who need immense power and a fast recycling rate wrapped up in a tidy wheeled box, the new Comet flash has no competition.

Next on my list is the C-1 Aerial Photography System, a bratwurst-shaped, helium-filled nylon balloon that can carry aloft a remotely controlled Nikon camera. The height and movement of the balloon are controlled by a wire tether attached to a hand-held ``ground control bar.`` The bar also includes a small television screen for previewing the shot, and controls for rotating, tilting and firing the camera. The mini-dirigible and its accessory equipment stow neatly in a package you can throw in the back of a pick-up truck. Former Arkansas news photographer Gene Wirges, together with sons Ron and Greg, are the braintrust behind the C-1. As a shooter, Wirges was always looking for a better angle, so a balloon seemed like the natural way to get high. The family developed a sophisticated camera yoke which permits extensive remote control of the camera, including automatic lens zooming with an optional interface. A video image of the view through the camera`s finder is relayed to the photographer`s TV screen through the wire tether, and as the camera is fired, a LCD readout indicates the number of frames used.

Taken as a complete system, the C-1 offers unique possibilities for low level (below 500 feet) aerial photography. But the C-1`s camera yoke, with its remote viewing and firing capability, has further potential in a variety of sports, nature and industrial photography applications. If you order now, you can be one of the first on your block to float your camera through the friendly skies. Just be on the lookout for Peter B. Kaplan, who may already be piloting his own C-1.

Third on my ``best. . . .`` list is the Set-up Cyc Cove Module, a heavy-duty, easy-to-install curved aluminum surface that can bring the dream of a seamless cyc background within the price range of almost every studio owner. The Cyc Cove Module is made from rigid 1/8-inch rolled aluminum with a radius of 36 inches, and is custom cut to any length up to 12 feet. Screws are run through the recessed edges of the module to affix it at the points where the studio floor and wall meet. Then, using drywall tape and joint compound, the edges of the module can be seamlessly blended into the existing surfaces. For two-wall cycs, a Fiberglas corner module will soon be available, and custom modules, with radii from 4 to 48 inches, can also be ordered.

With Cyc Cove, a rugged, custom-sized cyc can be erected without shutting down the studio for two weeks while high-priced European craftsmen hand-trowel wet plaster. Cyc Cove is the first of a new line of materials promised from Set Two, a spin-off company of the Set Shop.

The fourth item on my list is the Lightware Medium-Format Camera Case, a lightweight yet tough box that combines many of the best features of hard-sided and soft-shelled camera cases. Like hard units, the Lightware case provides a high degree of impact and shock protection, while offering the lightweight (6.75 pounds) and scuff-resistant good looks of fabric. Thanks to an inner lining of rigid polycarbonate (the bullet-resistant plastic used in bank tellers` windows) the new case is strong enough that even Lightware`s 220-pound plus major-domo, Paul Peregrine, can stand on the case without damaging the delicate camera gear inside.